Doctor insights on:
Do People Always Die Young If They Have Sickle Cell Anemia

1

Sickle cell disease:
There have only been a couple of studies examining life expectancy in patients with sickle cell disease. One study i know of found a median age at death of 42 for men and 48 for women with sickle cell disease. However, there are many variables impacting prognosis and survival from one patient to the next.
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An inherited blood disease causing red blood cells to be sickle (curved) shaped instead of round. It shortens life expectancy, and can result in bacterial infections, painful swelling of the hands and feet, fever, arthritis, leg ulcers, fatigue, anemia, eye damage, and lung and heart injuries.
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2

Possibly:
Other indications would include a recent splenic sequestration crisis (occurs in childhood), or in a patient receiving chronic transfusions for complications of sickle cell disease whose transfusion requirement increases due to collection and destruction of blood cells in an abnormally enlarged spleen. The latter is rare in sickle cell disease.
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4

Yes:
Over 2 million americans have sickle cell trait. Approximately 1 in 12 african americans have sickle cell trait. Many patients are diagnosed during routine newborn screening. However, not all patients know or remember the results. Other ethnic groups that are at risk include people with ancestors from south america, cuba, central asia, saudi arabia, india, turkey, greece, italy, etc.
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6

Another possibility:
One sickle cell syndrome is a combination of sickle cell trait and beta thalassemia. The symptoms are most like sickle cell disease. If this person had children, they could pass on the beta thalassemia and not the sickle cell. Otherwise, people sickle cell disease will have children with either trait or disease.
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7

Where it started.:
Malaria across the central belt of the africa acted as a form of selective pressure, influencing the genetic development of resistance to the disease and thereby enabling the survival of human populations.
Malaria protection evolved only in people who carried genes for sickle-cell anemia. Africans without the sickle-cell genes died from malaria, leading to a genetic advantage.
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8

No:
The disease usually results in the self destruction of the spleen as a functional organ by the age 3. At that point it would have no impact on the disorder and cease to be of any importance.
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10

Not common:
If you are having nosebleeds and have sickle cell disease, they are most likely not related. Frequent nosebleeds can be caused by a fragile blood vessels, dry membranes of the nose, or platelet issues. Sickle cell disease should not cause these. If you are having frequent nosebleeds, i would see your doc.
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11

Lots of consults:
First, they should consult with their treatment team, since pregnancy could be very difficult and medications taken may be dangerous for baby. A surrogate to carry the child might be the best option. That would require a fertility center & some legal work. They ca start with their regular doc, but it would require a team to get it done.
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13

Nothing:
Unfortunately, there would be 25% chance for your child to have sickle cell disease and 50% chance for sickle cell trait . With our technology now, nothing can alter the risk. Sorry to say , the only thing for somebody with sickle cell trait to completely prevent any possibility of having a biological child with sickle cell disease is by having a child with somebody with normal hb.
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14

Complicated:
Probably the best explanation is that they develop a shunting of blood from the veins to the arteries this bypasses some areas and causes them to be deprived of nutrients this causes the tissue to die producing an ulcer.
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15

Generally no:
A "carrier" inherited the sickle trait from one parent. Sickle cell anemia (ssa), occurs in those who inherit the sickle cell gene from both parents. This is associated with a variety of serious symptoms. The problem with trait is that if your partner also has it you can pass on ssa to a child. Rarely being a carrier causes symptoms but generally much more mild than with ssa.
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16

Bad blood and nerves:
B 12 is a vitamin that essential for life.
B12 deficiency if goes untreated can lead to severe anemia and neuropathy, not to mention dementia.
try another formulation of B12
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18

Yes:
The defect of sickle cell anemia occurs when 2 sickle cell genes are passed to a newborn. Since each parent passes half their genes at conception & it takes 2 sickle genes to cause disease, one gene comes from each parent. Many parents carry this gene quietly, unknown to them because it doesn't make a single gene carrier sick.
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20

Yes:
Sickle trait is when one of your genes for red cell formation is the sickle gene (s). If either of your parents, irrespective of race, carries the trait gene then you have a 50% chance of getting that gene. The chance of a parent having one s is much higher if he/she is black. But some whites do carry the trait gene.
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